


I am Dragon

by NightwingEarth16



Category: Bat Family - Fandom, Dragons - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-21
Updated: 2019-06-21
Packaged: 2020-03-09 05:18:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18910354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightwingEarth16/pseuds/NightwingEarth16
Summary: A young Duchess is about to be married when a dragon flies in and takes her away. Now on his island, she learns that there is more to the dragon than meets the eye.(From the movie I Am Dragon.)





	1. One

 In that land, people knew no happiness. They had tears where their eyes should have been. They had fear where their hearts should have been. They had death where the sky should have been. And they gave to the sky, what was most precious to them.

  _Before, there was no time, no earth, no dust, nothing. All was forgotten. What was falsity became verity  the river froze into nothingness._

_**Time is a fast-flowing river.** _

_**It spares no one.** _

_**The bride awaits her bridegroom, as she awaits her destiny.** _

_**She is clad in white, as if dressed in a shroud.** _

_**Eternal peace will come for her.** _

_**The wedding bell tolls.** _

_**Take her away! Take her away!** _

_**Come! Come for her! The maiden is yours for eternity.** _

But one brave knight’s Love was stronger than his fear. The knight vowed to find and rescue his beloved. He traveled for a very long time across land and water, and when he finally found the dragon’s lair, it was too late: his beloved had perished. 

 The knight lunged at the monster. His grief and fury merged into one nightly blow. The knight freed his people from fear, and they called him the dragon-slayer. 

 Years passed, all past woes were forgotten, and the dreadful ritual was transformed into a wedding rite. Then, the day came for the dragon-slayer’s grandson, Icicle, to marry the Duke’s younger daughter, Emily. 

 


	2. Two

 

 I feel Kori’s hands in my hair, Clara at my toes, and my hands on the dragon. 

 “You must get your head out of the clouds little sister,” Kori scolds gently, running the comb through my hair, section by section, top to bottom, and braiding. I feel her work, a thin tiny braid wrapping around the nape of my neck, up past my ear, over my forehead, down past my other ear, and finally coming to a stop where the braid started. The rest of my hair, is one long braid. Kori and I both have long hair, as it’s tradition for women to have. Her hair reaches her knees, while mine touches the floor. 

 “Emily,” Kori scolds again, tugging on my long braid, “you need to pay attention. Today is your wedding day.” 

 Maya walks over, and Kori gives her orders, “Gather her gown and pearls. The  ceremony is not going to be delayed because my sister is to busy playing with her toys.” 

 “I’m not playing,” I argue, my voice level, “I’m thinking.” 

 “What could be more important than your wedding that it takes up your thoughts?” 

 “It’s a pity there are no more dragons.”

 Clara looks up at me, “My lady?” 

 “It would have been nice,” I say, smiling as she continues to help prep me, “to have a man go through a dragon to save me. To show how much he loves me.” 

 “That would be nice my lady.”

 “There are no more dragons,” Kori says sharply, “and you do not need a daring rescue to have proof that someone loves you.” 

 “You’re only upset because you are still not married yet- OW!” 

 Kori tugs on my braid harshly, reaches over and snatches my dragon from my fingers, “you are to never say that again Emily- sit back down!” 

 I stood from my chair and pull my hair out of her hands, “why are you so worked up?”

 “You need to learn respect Emily! Love is not something you can pick up and play with!”

 “Don’t talk to me as though I am a child Kori. Go on then, keep waiting for true love you old maid!” 

 Her mouth opens to retort but the door opens and our father strides in, “What is the noise about?” 

 “Father she was being-“

 “Emily, I heard what you said to Kori.” 

 My face felt hot, and he stepped over to me.

 “Icicle is the best knight in the land, and you are to be a Duchess. Learn to love him, as he will learn to love you.”

 I don’t hear anything else after his order, as we are all being separated. 

 My father and sister are taken away from me, so that they can get dressed for the wedding as I am dressed. Maya drapes a heavy white gown over my head, pearls hanging from the cloth of my veil and cape. Rachel applies berry juice to my lips and coal to my eyes. 

 I see someone in the mirror. She has long black hair that dusts the floor, braided well by her older sister, clean skin from the pampering for her wedding, and traditional white clothing. She is me, and I am her. 

 “You look beautiful my lady,” Clara smiled as she escorts me downstairs, my bare feet against smooth wood and furs.

 My father, the Duke, Bruce, is looking as regal as I’ve ever seen before, his head held high, hair combed neatly, and furs draped around his shoulders. Kori, her long red hair tied in her own elegant braid and a cape that matches her green eyes. 

 “It is time.” 

 My father and my sister walk upstairs to announce the wedding, but not before he kisses my forehead. I am taken out back, where a trail of red berries is lain before me. I walk on the small red fruit, feeling them crush against my feet, and lay down on the small wooden boat, lined with furs. Men pick up the boat, pick up me, and walk to the open door, to the water, and place me down.

 I’m on the water now, laying still as the bright winter light erupts against my eyes, and the cheer from everyone, it’s enough to shake the falling snowflakes. My father’s voice silences everyone as I begin to drift across the water. 

 “It was not long ago, that on this very water, we gave our daughters to the Dragon! Now, we send our daughters across the water to be married! Today, I send my youngest daughter, Emily, across the water, to the finest knight in the land! Today, I give her to the grandson of the dragon-slayer! Today, I am the happiest man alive!” 

 There are more cheers as I look up slightly, seeing the rope tied to the boat, and Icicle at the other end of the water. His squire, Jason, presenting the end of my rope to him, and then, Icicle begins to pull. 

 I am slowly moving across the water, my gown protecting my arms and legs, but my feet suffer from the cold. It won’t matter, when Icicle pulls me across, he will place new slippers on my feet before I stand, as is our wedding ceremony. 

 I hear the knights sing. The dragon song. Icicle wants this, to head the song that once summoned a monster, the monster that his grandfather killed and saved us all. 

 I look up, and see the falling snow, dreaming about my new life, and what it will be like.

 The snowflakes brush to the simile with sudden force, and I feel why. A strong wind, powerfully sending the snow back. I sit up slightly, and see it. A great black figure flying. 

 “The dragon!” 

 I barely have time to scream before the beast is on me, it’s great claws grabbing my waist and pulling me from the boat, and then I do hear screaming. 

 “My daughter!” 

 I look down, reaching helplessly for someone to take my hand. Kori, my father, Icicle, everyone is screaming as the dragon flies away, higher into the sky and father away from the wedding. 


	3. Three

 

 I scream and cry, the Dragon’s claws holding me in a grip stronger than stone, one of the claws digging into my side. It climbs higher, into the clouds, into the cold and rain. I can feel the cold water pelting my skin and hair, soaking my clothing and washing away the coal and berry juice. The water....I can feel it, but I don’t care. 

 I’ve stopped screaming, now crying and gasping, trying to pry myself out of the Dragon’s claws, with no effort. It doesn’t loosen even a little. 

 The Dragon suddenly swoops, I gasp, my heart dropping and my stomach flying. I see dark water and graze it. The sea. Waves crash and roar, salt flying up and landing in my lips. 

 Approaching fast, is a looming dark figure. It’s tall and jagged, and the Dragon is flying straight towards it. It comes closer, I can see it, larger than the tallest tree, wider than one hundred ships, and a gaping hole in the side. 

 The Dragon flies inside, and it is no better than the storm. It is just as dark, even more dark from the walls blocking any light from entering, dry from rain, but damp. 

 I don’t have time to look around as the Dragon fluids lower, a table with white sand in the center and veins covered in the same sand comes closer to me. The Dragon is going to place me on the table and....

 I’m suddenly jerked upwards, and I see why, the Dragon is shaking it’s head violently back and forth, as though a mouse as crawled into it’s ear, scraping it’s brain, and the Dragon is trying to rid it’s presence. The violent shaking though, makes it loose it’s grip on me. 

 I fall with a short cry, land painfully on slanted rock, and roll downwards, my cape catching on a sharp stone. I fall out of my cape, and begin to fall into a hole, but I manage to grab hold of the cloth and cling tightly, my gown thinner than the cape and torn. 

 My grip falters though, and I fall into the darkness beneath me. 


	4. Four

 

I wake with a start, a gasp, and wonder if I've even opened my eyes. It is far to dark, and it smells strange. Mud, damp, dark, fur and blood. My blood. I hiss in pain as my fingers find the blood. I can see now, but wish that I still couldn't. My right side has a slash in it, where the Dragon had it's claws in me, the tender skin jagged and hot. My cape though, the thickness of the fabric prevented the claws from digging into my side completely. I'm thankful for that. 

 I move my hands in front of my face, and can see them. The skin that Clair spent so long cleaning is dirty with mud and blood. I don't care though how dirty my hands are, or how much pain my side is in. Right now, the only thing I care about is getting out and going back home. Standing with shaking legs, I feel my way around the prison that I fell in. Cold wet stone around me, cold mud beneath my feet, and a white light to the side. My feet walk towards the light, and my nose...I can smell air. The air of the sea, where I can climb out of this prison and find my way back. Once in the center of the light, I can see better, that the walls of the Pit are not good for climbing, mostly smooth with some rolling sides, like the gentle waves of water when a boat passes over the surface. However, I do see a familiar shape dangling from the top, the sleeve of my cape. 

Wiping my nose with my wrist, then wiping my hands on my dress, I find a stone and step up, reaching for the cape. The stretching hurts my side, I grit my teeth to try and block out the pain, reach a little bit more, and grab the cape. I now dangle with my feet above the mud and the stone where I stepped, and my arms above my head, gripping the cape. I move my feet to the side, trying to get a grip on the waved rock so that I can work my way up the side. 

There's a low growling sound, and movement. I slowly look to the side, and scream. A furry creature pops out from behind a rock, roars at me, and I drop once more into the dark beneath me. This time though, I stay awake, and crawl back against the wall where I woke up. The ground is slanted, deeper where I sit now and higher where the light is. Long fingers reach down and the body that belongs to them jumps, landing in the mud in front of me. The creature is slightly larger than a full grown cat, with large bat-like ears, and a long bushy tail. It's hands...it has two sets of hands, one in the front, and a pair in the back. The skin is a dark gray, same with the fur all over it's body. It has twin yellow eyes that pierce the darkness, and it's lips are pulled back in a snarl, showing it's small sharp teeth. 

The creature paces slowly back and forth in front of me, my hand touching something hard and heavy. A stone. I pick it up and show it in my fist. The creature jerks back, then forward, opening it's mouth and screaming at me. I tighten my grip on the stone, ready to throw it. 

"Don't do it." 

I almost drop the stone at the sound of the voice, a man's voice, clear and calm in the darkness. I look around quickly, but always look back at the creature, still ready to throw the stone. 

"You'll only make it angry."

As if responding to the words, the creature gets lower to the mud and snarls more, fur bristling along it's back. 

"Put the stone down."

What? Put the stone down? Then I'll be defenseless if that thing runs forward. I shake slightly, not letting go.

"Put it down."

His voice is firmer now, a command. The creature makes little clawing motions against the mud. I hesitate, then gently set the stone down in the mud. I raise my empty hand to show the creature that am unarmed. 

"Don't look in it's eyes."

Slowly, shaking and feeling as though I'm about to barf, I turn and face the wall.

"Lie down."

Put down the stone, don't look at it in the eye, lie down? Maybe the man is the creature's owner, ordering me down so that his beast can have an easy meal. Somehow though, I lie down in the muck, my hands into fists and nails digging into my palms. 

"Stretch your neck."

I almost shout that I won't do it, my hand closing around the stone and bashing the creature to bits. The creature runs at me, snarling and sniffing. Eye's closed tightly, I lean my head back deeper into the mud and open my neck more. The hot air from it's nose hit's my exposed skin.There's one more shout from the creature, then the sound of scampering. I risk opening my eyes and turning towards the Pit's entrance to see it's furry tail disappear at the top, as well as the sleeve of my cape. It took my escape, but it didn't rip out my throat. I press my head into my hand just as the sound of something slopping into the mud next to me happens. A fish, still alive. Food. 

I ignore the fish and sit up, my heart beating even harder than before. 

"Hey," I call into the dark, my voice raspy from the screaming. I stand quickly, dizzy from the sudden motion, but lean against the wall to steady myself as I call again, "Hey. Who are you?'

No response. I feel the walls with my hands , trying to find a hole, a way that the man can speak to me, a way that I can see him.

"Please," I beg, looking around at the stones, "Help me get out of here. I am the Duke's daughter. My father will reward you greatly-"

"I can't help you."

My stomach drops. He can't help me. We can't escape.

"Are you a prisoner as well?'

My voice is so quiet, I doubt he would be able to hear me.

"Yes. There is no escaping the Dragon."

" What about that thing? What was that?"

Silence, then he responds, "It's a sentry. The Dragon doesn't hurt it, so they work together."

The Dragon working with that beast? It's so small, I would have thought it was a snack for the Dragon. The Dragon.

"Where is the Dragon now?'

I sit down, close to the light of the Pit, but still in the darkness. 

"He is sleeping. It's not safe for us to talk."

"What does he need me for?" My voice breaks, tears threatening to spill out, "What's going to happen to me?"

"I've told you to much already. You're on your own now."

That does it, the tears spill out as I run to the wall opposite of me and I begin to smack the stone without use.  

"No! No, no, no! Please! Please talk to me!"

I fall and sob into my arm, curling up on the mud and shivering, from cold and fear. 

"Why did you sing the ritual song? You should know that it summons the Dragon."

"We thought there were no more dragons," I cry, coiling my feet under my legs, "We didn't think that.....we thought it was safe to sing the song. Icicle wanted it sung."

"Who is Icicle?"

"He was my groom.....I was getting married."

With tears as my comfort, I fall asleep on the mud.


End file.
